Commander Shepard Brings Home DICE Gold

There’s no shortage of awards ceremonies in our industry. While the clownish and embarrassing Spike VGAs are, regrettably, the most visible, the Interactive Achievement Awards are probably the most meaningful. The IAAs are given out at the yearly D.I.C.E. Conference, held in Las Vegas and open exclusively to members of the industry.

“Mass Effect 2” was the belle of the ball, bringing home the top honors with the “Game of the Year” trophy. In addition, the fantastic sci-fi shooter took the “Best Roleplaying Game” and “Outstanding Achievement in Story” honors.

Other notable games were Rockstar’s “Red Dead Redemption,” which took home five awards, and Quantic Dream’s “Heavy Rain,” which won three.

The award winners are determined by a peer vote, and the ceremony represents a “… time for the games industry to gather and honor the creativity and craft that goes into game making,” says AIAS President Martin Rae.

We’ll try to ignore the fact that “Angry Birds” took home an award for “Best Casual Game,” since it’s a baffling anomaly on an otherwise stellar record of recognizing excellence in the industry.